Hornady LnL Shell Plate Alignment

[GregJ]

Been noticing several primers hard to seat, get a few messed up, etc. Looks like the bearings on the shell plate and the detents on the sub-plate are not in alignment. I tried two other shell plates (9mm and 223) and they look the same. I called Hornady, and their only suggestion was to make sure the bearing cap in the shell plate was flush with the bottom of the plate to eliminate any play. I think I need a new sub-plate.

I tried to take a good pic that showed how the edges of the shell holder do not line up with the primer shuttle.

Any else notice this in their LNL?

[peterthefish]

Is the plate snapped into the detents in the pic shown? If that's where it indexes after cycling the press, see if you can very slightly advance it and get it to click into the detents on the subplate. If you can then you need to adjust the pawls to move the plate slightly further forward.

Are you using a light lube under the plate and a touch of grease on the detent balls on the shell plate?

[GregJ]

I meant to include it isnt a pawl timing issue. And yes, I keep the shell plate detent balls clean and greased.

The pic above is with the plate snapped into the detents. I have to push the plate slightly clock-wise out of the detents to get the primer to line up 100%. It really seems like the detents on the sub-plate are off. I will be ordering a new sub-plate today.

Edited October 19, 2015 by GregJ

[Kaldor]

I meant to include it isnt a pawl timing issue. And yes, I keep the shell plate detent balls clean and greased.

The pic above is with the plate snapped into the detents. I have to push the plate slightly clock-wise out of the detents to get the primer to line up 100%. It really seems like the detents on the sub-plate are off. I will be ordering a new sub-plate today.

Dont. Just call Hornady, explain whats happening, send them a few pics if they ask. They will fix it, for free. Good CS.

As you said, not a press timing issue, but a manufacturing issue. The detents should snap in where they need to be, and that should center up your shellplate. The only other thing it could be is a shell plate issue, and not the subplate. DO you have any other shell plates to compare against?